Brussels: The European Commission has introduced a sweeping new initiative aimed at bolstering ocean protection, just days before the UN Oceans Conference (UNOC) begins in Nice, France. Dubbed the European Ocean Pact, the strategy is presented as a unified framework designed to consolidate existing EU ocean policies and deliver stronger protection for marine ecosystems while promoting sustainable growth in coastal regions.
According to the Commission, the pact offers a “comprehensive” plan with six core objectives: restoring ocean health, expanding the blue economy, supporting island and coastal communities, investing in marine research, improving maritime security, and advancing EU ocean diplomacy.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized the pact's broader social and environmental relevance, saying it would serve both the planet and future generations. Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, described the initiative as a tangible step forward, not just symbolic, and highlighted its potential to drive investment in sustainable marine industries and enhance European security.
Key commitments include proposing an EU-wide ocean protection law by 2027 and updating two existing maritime directives to strengthen biodiversity safeguards.
However, environmental organisations have responded with cautious criticism. A coalition of six major NGOs—including BirdLife Europe, ClientEarth, Oceana, Seas At Risk, Surfrider Foundation Europe, and WWF’s European Policy Office—welcomed the announcement but warned that the plan lacks binding commitments and urgent enforcement measures.
In a joint statement, the groups described the pact as a “tentative” move that stops short of the decisive leadership the EU could demonstrate at the upcoming UNOC. Oceana's deputy vice-president for Europe, Vera Coelho, said the pact largely maintains a piecemeal approach that has failed to curb destructive practices like bottom trawling within Marine Protected Areas.
Rather than strengthening enforcement of existing EU laws, the pact risks revisiting major legislation like the Common Fisheries Policy without addressing what NGOs see as the core issue: a persistent lack of political will among member states to uphold environmental commitments.
Juliet Stote, a marine policy advisor with ClientEarth, echoed these concerns, stating that while the pact promises better enforcement, it provides no roadmap for ensuring that current laws are upheld in practice. She pointed to ongoing violations such as bottom trawling and overfishing, even in areas designated for protection, as evidence of this enforcement gap.
Environmental groups are now calling on EU institutions and national governments to reinforce the pact with concrete actions and ensure that ocean conservation becomes central to all future EU marine policy.
